With the next Fantasy Premier League (FPL) deadline on the way, we’re hearing from our panel of guest writers. Here, five-time top 1k finisher Tom Freeman talks through his Gameweek 31 Wildcard.
- READ MORE: Lateriser: How I would replace the injured Gabriel in FPL
- READ MORE: FPL Q&A: Chip strategy, keep or sell Foden + best Villa pick
This week I’m going to talk through my Gameweek 31 Wildcard team and outline my chip strategy for the remainder of the season.
There will invariably be some changes before the deadline, but after reading this piece, you should at least know which players I’m leaning towards.
CHIP STRATEGY
- Gameweek 31: Wildcard
- Gameweek 32: Bench Boost
- Gameweek 33: Triple Captain
- Gameweek 34: Free Hit
After much deliberation, I’ve decided to Bench Boost in Gameweek 32. It means I can target some nice differential picks from Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brighton and Hove Albion, who face Ipswich Town, Southampton and Leicester City respectively. I also don’t need to worry about my Newcastle United players in Gameweek 33, as the defenders can simply be moved to the bench.
Furthermore, it frees up Double Gameweek 33 for the Triple Captain chip, with Omar Marmoush (£7.5m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.3m) the two options currently under consideration:
- Marmoush: eve + AVL
- Saka: ips + CRY
The Free Hit chip will be played in Blank Gameweek 34, a pretty straightforward decision.
It isn’t a perfect strategy, because Gameweek 32 is sandwiched between important Champions League quarter-finals for Villa and Arsenal, but overall, I like the approach and am happy to give it a try.
GOALKEEPERS
David Raya (£5.5m) is my preferred ‘keeper, given Arsenal’s defensive solidity.
The Gunners will miss Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.4m), who requires surgery on the hamstring injury he picked up against Fulham, but Ben White (£6.1m) and Jurrien Timber (£5.6m) “have a chance” to play against Everton on Saturday, and I’d be far more concerned if William Saliba (£6.3m) was out, given his recovery pace.
The second spot is harder to decide on, but for now, I’ve opted for Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m). That ‘keeper combination should give me a solid fixture run right through until the end of the season.
DEFENDERS
